The Centre Region’s second medical marijuana dispensary is in the works. Here’s what’s next
A new medical cannabis dispensary is planned to occupy the former Home D Pizzeria building on South Atherton Street.
Owners announced in June that Home D Pizzeria, which had been in business for nearly 70 years, was closing its State College location. Brandon Nemec, government and regulatory affairs associate director for PharmaCann, told the Centre Daily Times in an email that the company plans to turn the building into the Centre Region’s second medical marijuana dispensary.
PharmaCann is the parent company to Verilife dispensaries, which has four operational dispensaries throughout Pennsylvania located in Manayunk-Philadelphia, Shamokin, Chester and Williamsport.
Mark Gabrovsek, College Township’s zoning officer, said a zoning use permit had been issued, which says the use fits that zoning district.
“That particular location is located in our general commercial zoning and retail is a permissible use. And we treat the marijuana sales as retail, the same with alcohol sales or a drug store, Rite Aid, CVS, anything, if it’s a legitimate retail sale, it’s retail,” Gabrovsek said.
The next step for the company would be to apply for a building permit through College Township and Centre Region code.
Nemec wrote they hope to begin serving medical patients at the Verilife State College dispensary toward the end of the year, contingent upon local and state approvals, and completion of reconstruction and implementation of security plans at the building.
“Verilife simply saw a tremendous opportunity to revitalize this location within the local State College business community and provide an additional access point along a commercial corridor for medical patients in the greater central Pennsylvania region,” Nemec wrote.
Once operational, Veriflife will employ approximately 25-30 employees, Nemec wrote.
“These are skilled positions that include living-wage, full-time positions with benefits, such as dispensary management and shift supervisors, asset protection and security specialists, pharmacists and patient care representatives,” he wrote.
It would be the area’s second medical marijuana dispensary — Nature’s Medicines opened at 2105 N. Atherton St. in June 2018.
